The story of Ratonhnhaké ton post AC3
by sucorred
Summary: The journal of Ratonhnhaké ton that he began to write in soon after removing the majority of Templar influence in the colonies.
1. Page 1

1784

Entry 1: Yesterday Aveline arrived on the homestead, Patience Gibbs by her side. I am glad that I took the time to request her aid in convincing Patience to at least give the brotherhood a chance. From what little I saw of her in training today I am more convinced than ever that I was correct in my initial feelings about her, that she does indeed have a remarkable aptitude for this way of life and should prove very helpful if she chooses to remain with us.

Entry 2: It's been over a week since both Aveline and Patience arrived and today as I sat in my study(once Achilles study) she came to me and asked whether or not it would be okay if she remained for a time. Of Course I said that she could remain if that is what she desired but when I asked for an explanation she quickly tried to maneuver the conversation elsewhere and I may have pressed further on the subject if Dobby hadn't interrupted suddenly, wanting a word with me about the state of our newly founded relationship.

Entry 3: There has not been much to report in the last few weeks, Patience's training has been progressing fairly well and Aveline is still here going out on missions and helping with the training of the various recruits who we will obviously need to maintain our position in America. My relationship with Dobby is still well and I find myself feeling happier when she isn't away on mission but here with me instead . I feel selfish for these emotions after all what I told Lance and doctor White at the inn a few years ago still rings true, the brotherhood demands my attention and will for the foreseeable future as it grows in strength.

Entry 4: Nothing to write about for the last month of much importance. Dobby is leaving in the morning for an assignment in New York and I know I will miss her while she is gone. For now she is asleep in our bed and I can't sleep, always a lot on my mind.

Entry 5 : She is dead. Dobby is dead, killed on assignment in New york. A simple assassination of a smaller templar operating out of the city. When we didn't hear from her or of the man's death Jacob Zenger went looking for information. The innkeeper told him that a woman had died two days ago there but she was slumped over and he originally had thought she'd passed out from drink. He managed to find her body and what he learned from it only increases my sorrow . She was stabbed to death, one wound, made by a hidden blade.


	2. Page 2

1784

Entry 6: Did I love her? I am not sure, this pain is much like the kind I felt when my mother passed and again with Achilles, though not as intense. I never said it to her I know that much nor did she say it to me, we just knew that something was there and let whatever it was manifest. I remember our talks in that old tavern, some more than others but the one that that stands out the most, atleast now, is the one where she asked me if I was ever ready to try having a relationship if I would first try having one with her. I agreed to this slightly humorous request then and years later, when both my father and Charles Lee were dead and I felt the weight on my shoulders lighten just a little I gave into an urge to seek happiness for myself. After dropping the piece of eden I got from Washington into ocean and returning to land, that is when I asked her about that conversation we had and the relationship started, slow at first. I was happy with her, would have been happy to start a family with her one day. I did love her and now she is gone, her funeral is tomorrow, and I have to say goodbye.

Entry 7: Dobby's death,specifically the circumstances of it, has plagued my mind these last few days. The wound that killed her having been inflicted from a hidden blade, the primary weapon of an Assassin. Has someone betrayed us, if so it would have had to been one of the other lieutenants I and Achilles trained back when we were dealing with the templars under my father. I can not stand the thought but none of the new recruits come close to Dobby's skill and so wouldn't have been able to get the drop on her and kill her without alerting a single person in the tavern. Who ever it was has great skill and is a danger to the brotherhood if left to wonder free, unpunished. I will look into the matter alone and with discretion.

Entry 8: I have spent the last week and a half looking for clues, anything that might tell me who in the order that has betrayed us but I have come up completely empty handed. Part of me is glad that I have not found anything as it suggests maybe I am looking at this wrong. Perhaps it was not an assassin who killed Dobby but someone with one of our weapons, like my father who had obtained one during a confrontation with an assassin named Miko who he did later kill. What if that is the case, are we truly better off? No betrayal but no clue as to who it is we are dealing with.


	3. Page 3

1784

Entry 9: The man who killed Dobby has killed another, this time it was Duncan. He and Clipper were going to meet in Boston after having been separated out on the frontier and when Clipper got to the rendezvous and Duncan was absent, He went looking. He found Duncan nearly dead in an alley but just enough alive to confirm a crucial fact. It was not an assassin who had killed Dobby but a templar, an incredibly dangerous and skilled templar who, according to Duncan, has a bone to pick with me especially. Who is this man, that is like a ghost, hunting my friends, and how am are we going to stop him?

1785

Entry 10: Have not written in months because of the templar, through the winter and into the new year he has remained untraceable even though he has stepped up the level of disarray he's been causing the brotherhood, interfering in our missions, intercepting supplies and correspondence. Two nights ago I got together with Aveline, Stephane, Jamie, Clipper, and Jacob to formulate a plan of attack against him. We came away with a trap to set for him with me as the bait and the others ready to attack if and when he shows up. I can only hope that we prove successful.

Entry 11: He saw through it, the plan, knew it was a trap. So instead of going after me, he went after Clipper. I saw him running across the rooftops towards him, and I moved as fast as I could. Heard a shot, followed closely by another and as I climbed the wall Clippers body fell over the edge to the ground below but I kept moving. Got to the top and saw the templar running away, holding a shoulder. I gave chase and slowly gained on him, ten feet between us as he dropped down into an alley. Of course I followed but as my feet hit the dirt the templar had turned on me, he was on the offensive. We locked arms as we fought in the narrow space, both our hidden blades extended. I screamed at him then "who are you"!

and his face was set as he responded "I am the man who ended your brotherhood once and I am the man who will do it again"! I stumbled away from that encounter clutching my slashed throat, blood pouring from the wound. He was here before, He must have known my father.


	4. Page 4

1785

Entry 12: After having the wound bandaged up I immediately rode for the homestead and once I arrived, up to my room which is where I kept his journal. I flipped through the pages to the point where Haytham, my father had been stabbed by Lucio and skimmed the next few pages until the journal suddenly jumped forward over a decade, past when the brotherhood had been completely eradicated in 1763. I turned the pages back and it was then that I realized that several pages had been torn out of the journal between the two sections. After finding that I quickly skimmed through the rest of the book and noted no other pages were ever ripped out. What did this tell me? I have come to the conclusion that there is a reason those pages are missing.

Entry 13: Today I went looking for information about the templar in the manor because if he was here during those days, fighting against the assassin's, then odds are Achilles or another assassin would have known about him. I did not find anything on the first or second floor but when I finally descended into the basement, feeling frustrated that I found something.

It was a portrait or rather several, of different assassin's, hidden beneath the floorboards. each was accompanied by a name. Liam O'Brien, Hope Jensen, Kesegowaase, Chevalier de la Vérendrye, and finally a man by the name of Shay Cormac, who appeared to be the much younger version of the man I had fought in the alley. His hair now though was seriously graying and tied back in a ponytail and he had a scar over his right eye. These people must have been Achilles first pupils and this new threat, Shay Cormac, was among them. He turned against the brotherhood , apparently caused it's downfall. Why?

Entry 14: I finally told the others who are enemy is, that he was an assassin who betrayed the brotherhood and became a templar and nearly wiped the assassin's out in the colonies. We know what a threat he is and every time someone leaves the safety of the homestead I fear they may not come back but if we let him stop us with that fear then he wins and we can not let that happen. So I am going to turn the tables. I know his name, I know what he looks like, and I know what he is capable of, who he is. I will make the hunter the hunted.


	5. Page 5

1786

Entry 15: I finally tracked him down at sea, aboard a ship called the Morrigan. I had followed him to and from New York with the Aquila, Robert Faulkner by my side. He knew we were following him the second he left port, how could he not, but he stayed his hand until we were far enough out to sea before the battle began. Cannon fire rang in my ears as we circled one another trading shots, screams from both crews as they were injured in the occursion. I am not sure how many minutes passed before I rammed into the side of the ship and ordered my men to board . I was among the first few to land on the Morrigan's deck, having to cut down two men within seconds of finding my footing. As they fell my gaze shifted to the wheel, where Shay had been only moments before but found instead empty air. My blocked another man's attack and knocked him to his feet as I whirled around, trying to spot him in the battle. He too had hopped to the other ship and was currently cutting down my men who were no match for him. I went to jump back over to the Aquila but was knocked sideways. A man had thrown all his weight into me and sent me tumbling to the floor. I recovered quickly from this, cutting the man's throat as he came over to finish the job and was on my feet again quickly. It took me another moment for me to spot Shay again. He had already made his way the wheel of my ship, fighting a group four men, including Robert. I made it back to back to my ship and ran to help them. Intercepting a strike that would have killed Faulkner as I reached them with my tomahawk. "Get below deck" I had screamed at him as my blade clashed with Shay's. It did not matter, he couldn't move fast enough. Shay kicked me into the rail and buried a dagger into his chest as I reached him again, stabbing him in the gut and tackling him over the rail of the ship, into the water. I hit the water on my back and couldn't open my eyes for a what felt like few seconds. When I finally managed to open my eyes I realized Shay was not beside me and heard cannonfire once again. Suddenly the Aquila's exploded and I watched in a mixture of horror and rage as the Aquila slowly sunk into the water and the Morrigan slowly made its departure from the battle. I was left there in the water among the debris and floating dead, forced to climb atop a particularly large piece of wood capable of holding my weight. I laid there for several hours soaked from head to toe with the water from the ocean, the water symbolic of my failure. Eventually a cargo ship passed by the wreckage and picked me up,brought me back to New York.


	6. Page 6

1786

Entry 16: I suppose both Shay and I have been busy healing from that battle, him physically, myself mentally. Again and again he has defeated me and it has cost so many lives. Who will die next due to my failure to kill him? I can not give up hope though, I must carry on.

1788

Entry 17: Jacob and Jamie were killed last year, along with several of the men and women who had been recruits when all this started. What has happened recently worthy of note? Gérald BlancAveline's friend from New Orleans also arrived last year and proposed to her almost immediately. She agreed to marry him and they did so later that year and now Aveline is actually pregnant with child and not very helpful in the field though I am very happy for them and wish them the best of luck with the complicated task of having a family. The main reason though for my picking up this journal again is a message I received from Stephane Chapheau about Shay Cormac's place of operation, located in New York. It has remained unknown to us for the last four years but finally we have caught wind of it. I plan to ride for New York tomorrow morning and investigate it myself.

Entry 18: I did not get what I expected from my visit to Shay's hideout. When I arrived there it took several minutes to locate a secret room hidden within the fort, much like the one in the manor and when I got to the bottom of the stairs I was caught off guard by two men who held me as Shay walked into view. This is when I brought my hidden blades up into their necks and grabbed one of the guns at my waist,quickly bringing it up to be level with Shay's head. But he too, when I made this move, managed to get a gun on me as well. In that moment we both realized that if one of us pulled the trigger, both of us would die. Shay then nodded to the table in the center of the room and we both slowly moved to either end of it and sat down. What followed was an intense conversation in which Shay told me his story, about how he was inducted into the brotherhood, about Lisbon, and what followed. After everything had been said we parted ways, and I am no longer convinced I know what kind of a man Shay is.


	7. Page 7

1790

Entry 19: It's all over now. The year has just changed and with it has finally come peace from the templar who we've been fighting for the last 5, almost 6 years but at what cost? Many of us have died in this recent struggle and now Connor may very well join them in the death toll. Connor and I tracked Shay to New York once again(though he didn't want me to be there due to my new family obligations) and I was intent on making sure it was the last time we had to deal with him. Looking back I suppose I acted to hastily, he must have heard my feet hitting the rooftop tiles as well as when they stopped doing so, because he caught me in the air and I slammed to the ground. Shay was on top of me in a second, hidden blade extended and aimed for my throat. I would have died if Connor hadn't intervened when he did. Shay had saw him coming and opted for knocking me out to buy himself time, to make sure it wasn't a two on one fight. I don't know how the fight played out, just how it ended. I'd woken up only a few minutes later and saw the blood pooling around both of their bodies. Connor's robes were in pieces, tattered and ripped . He was bleeding profusely from the stab wound in his chest and needed immediate medical attention but I couldn't lift a 200 pound man on my own not after the last year which i've mostly spent taking care of my baby girl. I had managed to get him over my shoulder and move a few yards towards the street before falling to one knee under his weight. I yelled for help, hoping maybe someone on the streets may hear me and come running. I yelled again after carrying him another few yards again. Then Stephane came running around the corner and when he saw the state of Connor he strung together a multitude of curse words, finishing it as he took some his weight off my back. "Aveline, I heard you yelling from the next street over, I was worried I might not find the both of you, what are we going to do to help him" were his exact words and I told him that the closest doctors was just down the street. We carried him there and I slammed my fist against the door until a young woman answered the door. when she saw Connor she immediately told us how the doctor was out of town for the next few weeks that she wasn't sure she could handle the situation but I knew there was no time to bring him elsewhere and so she tried to help us get him inside and we laid him down on the table as best we could. The girl worked to stop the bleeding, bandaged the wound as best she could, and after what felt like hours the room was finally calm.


	8. Page 8

1790

Entry 20: I noticed Aveline wrote down her perspective of my fight with Shay while I was out and thought I should add a quick note or two on the subject before moving on to more current events. The note being the fact that it was the most difficult fight I have ever been in and the only reason I won(I am not sure I even can go that far since, if it was not for Aveline and Stephane I would have died right alongside Shay albeit a few minutes later) was because I was younger than him by around two decades and his body could no longer move as fast as mine. If I were to have come up against him in his prime I am certain that the fight would have ended with my death. Lastly there is the case of his last words to me while we struggled. How all he ever really wanted was to protect the innocent from harm and held great conviction behind all of his actions in pursuit of that goal. I admire the goal after all it is one of my own,but what he did to those I cared for, I can not forgive.

Entry 21: I have been here for eleven days now, at Hannah's small doctor's office in New York, unable to leave due to my injuries which included the stab wound to my chest, three cracked ribs, and a broken leg not to mention the cuts all over my body that have now left behind scars. Aveline made the decision to leave me here, to make sure I did not push myself at all until the injuries healed properly. Hannah knows I am not happy being left here so she has been doing her best to help me heal as fast as possible.

Entry 22: I had a conversation with Hannah today, she had asked me about my life and what led me to join the brotherhood, which Aveline had told her about the night they dragged me in here nearly dead. I told her of my people, of the vision that led me to the order as a way to protect them, of how I inevitably failed to do so and they were forced to move west. In turn she told me about her earlier life in France, and how her family had her leave to get away from the unrest that would culminate with the storming of the bastille and the start of the french ended up talking for a few hours until her attention was demanded elsewhere and she once again left me to my thoughts.


	9. Page 9

1790

Entry 23: These feelings I have been having for Hannah in the last week, they are like those I had for Dobby. This time though I must admit I am a little afraid of them. I was in this very position six years ago, all threats seemingly destroyed, gone and in their place was supposed to be peace but then Shay came out of nowhere and killed Dobby, Duncan, Clipper, and more, leaving the brotherhood severely damaged once again just as I was finally beginning to put the pieces back together. What I am getting at is I am not sure if there will ever truly ever be a time when it is a good idea to start a family and or a time when they would be safe.

Entry 24: I have failed to resist my feelings for her, it has been about four weeks since I first met Hannah and last night we slept together. Looking back on it I know it was in the spur of the moment. We were talking out on the balcony, observing the men and women most likely on their way home after a long day's work. She had laughed about something I had said, that I personally did not understand the humor behind but chuckled at the response to it. Then she kissed me and I lost myself in her. I woke up twenty minutes ago with my arms wrapped around her and knew I loved her, what am I going to do?

Entry 25: After that first night with her I had decided to try having another relationship. It has been two more weeks since then and I have had such a great time with her, but in that time I have also changed my mind on the subject. I do not want to lose this like I lost what I had with Dobby, do not want Hannah to get hurt because of the life I live, because of my responsibilities . So I have decided to leave for the homestead at dawn while she is asleep. I know it may hurt her but in the long run I hope she will be better off than if she and I had a life together while I was in the brotherhood. Here she comes now.

Entry 26: I am now back on the homestead, having arrived two weeks sooner than Aveline or anyone else has expected. As I walked through the front door of the manor Gérald greeted me warmly with his baby girl in his arms. For the past few years they have lived with me in the manor and I welcomed them gladly because it always felt so empty when I lived here alone.


	10. Page 10

1790

Entry 27: I can not believe what has happened to me today. Seven months ago I left Hannah in New York with a heavy heart and today she came to see me on the homestead. She is pregnant with my child, has been all this time and I did not know. Hannah said she would not have bothered to seek me out if it weren't for what the child was. Native American is what she meant by this and unfortunately I understood. I took away her future, where could she find a husband willing to take care of and treat a native american child like his own? I am not sure she could. Immediately I offered her the manor as a new home for her and the child when it was born. Hannah accepted the offer of course, I knew she had come to me looking for help and it was my responsibility to give it to her, that and because I love her is why I so readily helped her.

Entry 28: News got around to the men and women of the homestead within hours of Hannah getting settled in the manor but did not ask me about until a few days later. When they finally came up to me it was with congratulations that I was soon to be a father. after that initial wave that I appreciated to a degree, another topic surrounding Hannah and my situation surfaced, the fact that we were not married was troubling to some and when I asked Hannah if it bothered her at all she gave an answer that implied it did bother her, at least a little. So I pondered over that thought, should I marry her?, would I like to? After a week I decided on the subject and proposed to her behind the manor, on the edge of the cliff. She said yes.

Entry 29: The wedding has gone and went now. It took place in Timothy's church exactly how Hannah wanted it. It hit me when she was walking down the aisle how much the dynamic of my life is about to change. I am now a husband with a child due to arrive any day now, a family man. The manor might very well become a little bit crammed with both my own new family and Aveline's. I may need to help start a construction on another house for them.

Now my mind wonders to the brotherhood and my place in it. I am the mentor here and still have a lot of work ahead of me.


	11. Page 11

1790

Entry 30: I have a son. Hannah went into labor in the early afternoon on October 30th and everything went fairly smooth. She and the child are healthy, both of them are now fast asleep in our room. We decided his name would be Noah, a name that Hannah has liked for the longest time. I like it aswell but it does not matter what his name is. When I held him in my arms for the first time I think it was the happiest I have ever been and I knew that I would do whatever it took to protect him from harm.

1791

Entry 31: It has been ten months since I last wrote in this journal and I must say I am glad that is the case. Because it suggests everything has been simple, which it has. Noah has been completely healthy which I am thankful for and actually uttered his coherent word to Hannah while I was away collecting the objects from Shay's hideout in New York. She says it was father, like he was asking for me. I suspect she is reading too much into it. When I arrived home Noah had climbed to his feet and stumbled his way over to me. I am proud of every small accomplishment he makes.

Entry 32: I have been looking over what I found in Shay's hideout and by far the most important object was a journal much like this one that belonged Shay. It spanned the last thirty years of his life from right around the fall of the brotherhood to just before his death and has again changed my perspective on who he was. It also holds the location of several precursor temples that I will have to let the assassin's around their respective locations know about.

Entry 33: It is September 16th 1791. A decade ago today I killed my father at Fort George. After his death I found his journal and learn how little I truly knew about him. That journal taught me who my father actually was and is one of the reasons I started this one, So that custom of truth may live on.


	12. Page 12

1792

Entry 34: Today Aveline received word that her mother, for whom her daughter is named after, is deathly ill and likely will not live to see next winter so Aveline is planning a trip to go see her again before it is too late. Gérald and Jeanne are of course going with her so her mother can finally meet them. I hope they make it there in time.

Entry 35: Hannah is with child again. She has had morning sickness every day for the past week. This time I will be able to be there for her, unlike when she was pregnant with Noah and had to go through it alone since I had no idea.

Entry 36: Now that Hannah is pregnant I think it is about time to start writing up plans for a new house with Lance for Aveline, Gérald, and Jeanne to live in. I will do that first thing in the morning. I was reminded of these thoughts when a letter from Aveline arrived, informing me that they had arrived in Chichen Itza and would be staying there until her mother passed which is suspected to occur in the next month or two. I wrote a letter back informing her of both Hannah's pregnancy and the brotherhood's state before I sat here to record my thoughts down. Now I think it is time to sleep.

Entry 37: Construction has begun on the new house for Aveline's family to live in once they return. The citizens of the homestead opted to help with the building process but I believe will still need to hire a few extra hands. Hunter, Warren and Prudence's son, was the first to offer his help. I remember the day of his birth quite well and am glad to see he is growing into a fine young man.

Entry 38: Aveline has now moved into the recently completed house after returning to the homestead three weeks ago. Hannah is happy though a bit more temperamental than usual, and Noah is walking around the manor and developing faster than most kids according to what Hannah learned while studying in New York.


	13. Page 13

1792

Entry 39: When I was down at the inn speaking with Godfrey and Terry, Hunter came running in looking for me. Hannah was with Prudence at her home when she suddenly went into labor so he was sent to retrieve both Diana and I but could not find Diana anywhere. Terry informed us that she was currently taking care of Myriam at her and Norris's home. I told Hunter to run back to his mother and tell her I would join them shortly with Diana before sprinting outside. I borrowed a guest at the inn's horse and spurred it forward. I know now I probably scared them half to death when I barged into the house but at the time I was to overcome with worry to notice. I interrupted them in the middle of a procedure and got yelled at by Diana for startling her. I apologized quickly then told her about Hannah. Diana expressed concern over leaving without finishing up there first but was kicked out by Myriam before she could say anything else on the matter. Together we rode over to Warren and Prudence's farm and as we got close I could hear Hannah yelling from inside the house. Entering quickly I saw that Hannah was on the floor, clutching Prudence's hand. Most of the desired objects were there beside them. It went fairly smooth from then on out, though Hannah seemed to be in a lot more pain than when she gave birth to Noah. It was another eventful day but now things have calmed down. On November 20th 1792 my family grew from three members to four, Hannah, Noah, Louis, and I.

Entry 40: This year and the last have gone without almost any disturbance from the Templars. Stephane has been dealing with any problems that arise in Boston while Patience does the same in New York. Though some in the brotherhood question whether she is old enough to deal with the responsibility I am confident in her skill after all she trained directly under both Aveline and I for several years. This set up has allowed me to remain at the homestead without having to leave on assignment in the last few months and the only role I play in the brotherhood at the moment is training recruits sent to me from their respective cities. I wonder every day how long this peace will last.


	14. Page 14

1793

Entry 41: For over 20 years now there has been a community here on the homestead. It all started when Godfrey came running up to the manor ,yelling for help. While directing timber down the river Terry was swept downstream and would have gone over the waterfall if we had not intervened. After rescuing him I learned that they were lumberjacks and since the manor had needed wood for repairs, I invited them to set up a saw mill in the area. After that many more would set up a life here and now a new generation of people are starting their lives here. Godfrey and Terry are both grandparents, Marie, who I met when she was only 15, is now happily married with a 5 year old girl. Lance had a relationship with a woman but she died giving birth to their son and David adopted a girl who's father died when Shay sank the Aquila back in 86. My point is that this community has come a long way, is and has been a place that great people have been able to make a decent life for themselves and I am proud of that.

Entry 42: Myriam died last night. She had been sick for months but I did not expect this to be the end result, I thought she would beat it and be out in the woods hunting again before anyone thought it wise. But no, she is gone and in an hour we will be burying her on the same plot of land as Lyle, Catherine, Richard, and a few more. At this point I suppose we can consider it the local cemetery. Best stop writing and get ready.

Entry 43: Earlier this year I decided it was about time that a new ship be built that could serve as the new flagship of the Assassin fleet like the Aquila once did. Since I found documents in the study pertaining to the construction of the Aquila by the French Brotherhood I decided they may be a good place to turn to for construction of the vessel. Today I received word from the chairman of the Assassin Council in France, Sophie Trenet, that they did not have the resources to help at this point in time but that they had found the original plans for the Aquila in their archives and hoped they may be of some use to me. While our correspondence did not lead to my preferred outcome at least now we have the plans for the Aquila, with them I suppose we may be able to do a decent job on our own here at the homestead.


End file.
